Peacock Shrug - Both Sides Done, But...

As I started on the blue stripes on the second half it occurred to me that it might look better if the darker blue were next to the orange instead of the lighter blue.  I had done about half a dozen rows of the lighter blue when this occurred to me, so I ripped back and worked the darker blue first and then the light blue.  The hue and intensity of the darker blue and the orange are similar, as are the lighter blue and the yellow-orange, so I think the colors balance better.  Now I will rip back the first side and reverse the blues.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-sock
Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Peacock Shrug - One Side Done

And half way through the second side.  After finishing up my test knit Saturday I spent the rest of the weekend working on my shrug.  I've given up the notion of finishing my third Camp Loopy Project.  The deadline is the day after tomorrow and there is no way I'm going to get there, and I'm not going to try.  Who needs self-imposed stress like that?  I stayed home from work today, feeling a bit like I was coming down with something.  After sleeping the morning away I've been enjoying reading and listening to the rain while I knit.  I wasn't sure about the colors when I finished the first side, but now that I've made such progress on the second things feel like they are coming together into a pleasing whole.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-sock
Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Peacock Shrug - Three Stripes Done

I finished up my test knit this morning, just need to block it, but last week I put it in time out because I kept making mistakes.  After I did an entire row with the wrong double decrease I just had to give it a rest and instead worked on my Peacock Shrug.  I even managed to make a mistake on this, simple as it is, not switching to the larger needle immediately after the increase row on the second stripe.  I did the exact same thing on the first stripe.  I don't think it really made much difference.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-sock
Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Peacock Shrug - One Stripe Done

Last Friday I left work early and came home and worked on my shrug and read.  I'm reading C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner Series and was close to finishing a book.  They always get very exciting towards the last third.  I took this picture Saturday morning, but then spent the rest of the weekend working on my test knit and never got around to blogging about it.  I'm about half-way through the second stripe now.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-sock
Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Camp Loopy 2017 Project Three - Goldwing in Green

Having to completely restart my test knit I realized that I also needed to rethink my Camp Loopy Project Three plans.  I had planned on making a cardigan, but I had substituted a different yarn and new I would have to make modifications and just didn't feel like I could devote that much time and effort to the project so back I went to Ravelry to find an easier pattern to make.  I decided to look at Ambah O'Brien's shawls, knowing that they often used multiple skeins so I could more easily meet the yardage requirements, and she has been very prolific in recent years so I could find something published in 2015 or later (the requirements for the project).  I settled on her shawl Goldwing.  It has a simple construction and can be easily modified to use as much yarn as I need to in order to meet the yardage requirements.  For yarn I went with Canon Hand Dyes William Merino Gradient.  They have some lovely gradient yarn colors but I decided to go with something simple.  The color is Emeralds but for the title of my project I went with Goldwing in Green because I like the alliteration.  I'm working the first skein from light to dark and when I get to the middle and start the decreases I'll work the second skein from dark to light.  I went down a needle size from what is recommended in the pattern because my yarn is a little lighter weight than the one called for in the pattern.

Pattern:  Goldwing by Ambah O'Brien

Yarn:  Canon Hand Dyes William Merino Gradient in Emeralds
Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Camp Loopy Project Two - Rainbow Vest - Finished!

I realized that I did not post finished pictures of my July Camp Loopy project.  This one I finished up on July 15, so easily done in time for the deadline.

Pattern:  Desert Arrows Vest by Jean Clement
Yarn:  Blue Moon Fiber Arts Cloud Nine in Taste the Rainbow
Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Peacock Shrug - Center Panel Done

I finished up the central panel this past week and took a little break from my test knitting to start the first stripe.  I've done a few more rows since then, but am still on the first stripe.  This is my easy knitting project for when I'm too tired to work on lace, but I have to be careful.  Last night I actually nodded off while working on it and almost lost a stitch, and forgot to switch to the larger needle when I was supposed to.  I switched to the larger needle one row late but I don't really think it will make much difference.  It looks like Biscotte & Cie will be releasing the pattern soon.  They had a Facebook post of some photos from a professional photo shoot and I spotted the shrug I knit for them, but was perturbed to see the model wearing it as a scarf instead of a shrug.  I do hope they have some proper photos of it.  I sent them two photos of me modeling it when I sent the pattern.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-sock
Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Peacock Shrug - Center Panel Half-way Done

As I neared the completion of my Strawberry Shortcake Shrug I pulled out the Peacock Paintbox set and started the central panel.  I managed to get some knitting in at work and I'm over halfway done with the center panel. I've laid out the other colors in the order I'll be working them from left to right.  I hope my order of 4 more Paintbox sets gets here okay.  I've got two orders of the Gazania Paintbox set that have gone missing.  My original order was placed in June, and a replacement order was sent by Biscotte in July.  Neither have arrived.  I don't know what is going on with the mail system.

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-sock
Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Strawberry Shortcake Shrug - Finished!

I finished up my shrug this past week.  I took Wednesday off so we could go shopping in town, and I had to take a break from my test knit because we discovered a mistake that required us to start over.  I'm very happy to have a shrug again, and Biscotte has released 7 new Paintbox sets (I have already ordered 4 of them).

Pattern:  Traveling Zebra Shrug by Carolyn Blakelock
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie Bis-sock
Needles:  US 2.5 (3 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)